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SRSG is a transdisciplinary team that engages in collaborative research on the philosophy, psychology, and pedagogy of spatial reasoning. Its members work in and across mathematics education, mathematics, psychology, curriculum studies, and cognitive science. We endeavor to improve education in its many aspects by catalyzing the spatial insights of diverse fields into educational knowledge and practice. The Group has met regularly since 2012. Its work was initially made possible through the support of the Imperial Oil Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Initiative, which is housed in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. Additional funding has been provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The SRSG continues to seek additional funds to continue our work.

Ruth Eichholtz Reviews Spatial Reasoning in the Early Years

Accomplished high school teacher Ruth Eichholtz of York School reviews SRSG publication "Spatial Reasoning in the Early Years: Principles, Assertions, and Speculations

SRSG in ZDM Mathematics Education

SRSG members recently collaborated on a special issue of ZDM Mathematics Education that addressed spatial reasoning in geometry in primary school (Volume 47, Issue 3, June 2015). These papers investigated spatial reasoning and its connection to school mathematics in general and school geometry in particular; the function of drawing in the construction of geometric meaning; the role of digital technologies; the importance of transformational geometry in the curriculum (including symmetry as well as the isometries); and, the possibility of extending primary school geometry from its typical emphasis on vocabulary (naming and sorting shapes by properties) to working on the composing/decomposing, classifying, comparing and mentally manipulating both two- and three-dimensional figures. Issue editors and SRSG members Nathalie Sinclair and Cathy Bruce discussed these opportunities in the context of historical developments in the nature and relevance of school geometry. SRSG member Joanne Mulligan and Jaguthsing Dindyal provided commenting papers on the collection of papers. Access to the special issue may be obtained here

Spatial Reasoning in the Early Years: Principles, Assertions, and Speculations

Announcing our most recent volume, from Routledge:

Over the past several years, "spatial reasoning" has gained renewed prominence among mathematics educators, as spatial skills are proving to be not just essential to mathematical understanding but also strong predictors of future success beyond the classroom in fields such as science, technology, and engineering. By exploring both primary and emergent dimensions, Spatial Reasoning in the Early Years helps define the concept of spatial reasoning and provides compelling evidence of the need for a clear focus within early education specifically. The authors review the research, look across current theories, and investigate implications for contemporary school mathematics pedagogy as they identify areas of inquiry necessary to bring a stronger spatial reasoning emphasis into the classroom.

The book contains many classroom- or workshop-based vignettes, highlighting the complexity of spatial reasoning in educational practice, providing an in-depth analysis of spatial reasoning as it applies to classroom practice, and offering new ways of framing lessons to help young students hone their spatial reasoning abilities. The book concludes with a forward-looking agenda that contributes to developing a greater understanding of the role spatial reasoning plays in educational contexts and beyond. Supported by plentiful visual representations, Spatial Reasoning in the Early Years skillfully integrates the conceptual and the concrete, making this text a dynamic and accessible resource.

This research was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and by the Imperial Oil Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (IOSTEM) Education Initiative at Werklund School of Education